In addition to an ACC title, the wrestlers will be competing for a total of 34 qualifier allocations for 2014 NCAA Wrestling Championship, which will be held March 20-22 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
NC State sophomore Nick Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.) is rated as the nation’s No. 3 wrestler in the heavyweight division after posting a 35-2 dual match record including an overtime win over the nation’s top-ranked heavyweight, Michael McMullan of Northwestern. Gwiazdowski will also face competition in the ACC Tournament from two other nationally-ranked wrestlers in his own division in Myers of Maryland and Pitt’s Tasser. The Wolfpack of coach Pat Popolizio also feature freshman Pete Renda (Topton, Pa.), who is ranked 19th nationally in the 174-pound weight class.
North Carolina, coached by former national champion C.D. Mock, is led by Henderson and 125-pound sophomore Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.), who is ranked 17th nationally in his weight class and who reached the finals of the ACC Tournament last year before losing.
Duke, coached by Glen Lanham, is led by 197-pound sophomore Connor Hartmann (Port Orchard, Wash.) who is ranked 20th by the Division I Coaches Ranking Panel and has posted a 22-8 record, and 157-pound junior Immanuel Kerr-Brown (Rome, Ga.), who is 22-10 overall on the year, and 5-1 in ACC dual meet competition, and is rated 24th nationally by the same panel.